Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Alternatives to Emily

53 replies

SunSurfSand · 23/06/2023 12:23

I'm currently pregnant with my last baby, a girl.

My eldest DC suggested the name Emily and has been calling her that ever since. My DH really likes Emily.

I don't mind Emily, it's pretty. I just find it a little...boring? I think every Emily I've ever met was privileged and boring and unremarkable.

Also my other children have Irish names, so I'd probably favour an Irish name.

Can anyone suggest other names I could put forward?

Or variations/ nicknames in the vein of Emily but a bit less bland?

Other names that have been considered include: Holly, Clara, Chloe.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
continentallentil · 24/06/2023 20:22

elmooie · 24/06/2023 17:01

If you want Molly as a nickname I’d aim for something like Emira (similar to Mary which Molly stems from as well as Emily) or Melinda

Why?!

Molly is a nn for Mary based names originally. No reason the OP shouldn’t use it for Emily ofc but why would it make any more sense to use it for Emira or Melinda??

RhosynBach · 24/06/2023 20:23

Molly as a nickname for Emily is random. Did you mean Milly?

justanothermummma · 24/06/2023 20:23

Erin?

RhosynBach · 24/06/2023 20:25

Other names like Emily (which I think is a beautiful and timeless name):
Amelie
Emilia
Ember
Milly
Erin (it means Ireland in welsh)

violetsunrise · 24/06/2023 20:31

Emmeline or Emilia are lovely

Roselilly36 · 24/06/2023 20:36

I love the name Emily, I have known many and never known a bad one.

SkyeBlue28 · 24/06/2023 20:42

you could spell it Emilie
i also like Amelia, Emmeline and Emma

Emily is one of my favourite girl names. I love it.

I personally wouldn’t use Molly as a nickname for Emily. I think they are two different names and if you want her to be called Molly then that should be her name.

JumbledE · 24/06/2023 20:49

I think if you like Molly but want a longer name something like Mallory would work. Emily would more likely be Milly but Molly isn't a million miles away!

mayorofcasterbridge · 25/06/2023 01:18

I have a gorgeous Emily, and her name is not bland in the least!

DuchessOfSausage · 25/06/2023 12:56

I think if you like Molly but want a longer name something like Mallory would work. Emily would more likely be Milly but Molly isn't a million miles away!

Why lengthen a sweet diminutive of Mary to an ugly name like Mallory?
Doesn't Emily usually shorten to Em?

HeyAliceYoucool · 25/06/2023 13:08

My favourite in this thread is Emmeline - beautiful name with a strong feminist vibe. I also like Evangeline - such a beautiful strong name. If I have a daughter in future I’d call her that, Evie for nn

fairycupcakes · 25/06/2023 17:30

Not sure how you’re getting Molly from Emily unless you typed Milly and it was autocorrected ?

I was going to suggest Amelie as some other PPs have ☺️

radroa · 25/06/2023 17:38

Mila

DuchessOfSausage · 25/06/2023 18:08

Emlyn
 is a man's name, @Lollol1992
Emlyn Hughes - Wikipedia played for England, Liverpool etc was on A Question of Sport as a team captain for ages.

TheCyclingGorilla · 25/06/2023 18:13

Emma-Lee/Leigh?

Lollol1992 · 25/06/2023 18:21

@DuchessOfSausage thanks but I think you'll find it's a unisex name

DuchessOfSausage · 25/06/2023 18:43

I wouldn't trust a baby name site, @Lollol1992 . They are particularly unreliable on Welsh and Irish names. It's a man's name and the name of a region of Dyfed.

marshmallowfinder · 25/06/2023 19:01

Eithne?

toastofthetown · 25/06/2023 19:07

SunSurfSand · 24/06/2023 06:43

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.

I got to have my chosen names for the older children, so I feel like I need to let DH decide this one. Especially since I don't really have a name in mind I feel equally strongly about,

I like the idea of naming her Emily and then calling her Molly. I think Molly is very sweet and I don't know any one else called that.

Some other great ideas as well- definitely food for thought!

Molly as a diminutive for Emily is a huge stretch. It could well not end up sticking, and going by Em/Emmy/Emily again by the time she's 8.

AssertiveGertrude · 25/06/2023 19:10

I really love the name Emily but if you don’t then you’re totally right to think of something else

Irish names - Eilis (ay-lish to those reading who are not Irish)

Maeve is really pretty

ladydimitrescu · 25/06/2023 19:18

Emme (Em-ee)
Emilia
Emerson

SophieHope7 · 25/06/2023 19:55

Aurelia?

user1477391263 · 26/06/2023 01:40

Emily was a very popular name until about 10 years ago, and then people got bored of it and started calling their kids “similar sounding but alternative version,” like Amelie, Emilia, Amelia, Mia, Mila, Everly, Emmeline, Millie etc.

So, the problem with trying to find a “less boring version of Emily” is that everyone else is doing the same thing and any version you choose will sound a bit tired and overdone.

I really don’t think you should feel like you have to pick some name that has something to do with “Emily” because your oldest DC seized on the name. You are naming the baby, not them; kids latch onto all sorts of names. If you don’t like Emily (and I agree that it’s a pretty boring name), pick something completely different that you do like.

mayorofcasterbridge · 26/06/2023 15:25

user1477391263 · 26/06/2023 01:40

Emily was a very popular name until about 10 years ago, and then people got bored of it and started calling their kids “similar sounding but alternative version,” like Amelie, Emilia, Amelia, Mia, Mila, Everly, Emmeline, Millie etc.

So, the problem with trying to find a “less boring version of Emily” is that everyone else is doing the same thing and any version you choose will sound a bit tired and overdone.

I really don’t think you should feel like you have to pick some name that has something to do with “Emily” because your oldest DC seized on the name. You are naming the baby, not them; kids latch onto all sorts of names. If you don’t like Emily (and I agree that it’s a pretty boring name), pick something completely different that you do like.

You're wrong - top 10 girls' names 2022:

  1. Sophia
  2. Lily
  3. Olivia
  4. Isla
  5. Ava
  6. Amelia
  7. Freya
  8. Aria
  9. Maya
10. Ivy 11. Emily

I imagine you're into 'alternative' names that aren't going to age well! Emily is a name that is going to stand the test of time. Its popularity over many years means that, unlike my own name, it won't 'date' its owner to a particular generation.

The point too is, the OP's DH likes the name, and hasn't had input to the other names.

@SunSurfSand - if you think 'Emily' is "boring", how can you think "Molly" is interesting??!

DuchessOfSausage · 26/06/2023 15:52

@user1477391263 , Emily has been popular for decades, and names like Amelie, Amelia and Emilia popular for about 20 yrs.
I don't think it's boring, just 'safe'
Emily seems less 'tired' than the others.
I prefer Emma.

Swipe left for the next trending thread